Nick Andrade
The work.
I've been working on what I feel is a thousand projects. Meetings, big projects, little ones, certifications, even some manual labor. I like it, though. It's nice to be busy!
Tiffany and I attended a Sexual Assault Response Team meeting last week, which was pretty cool. The SART consists of everything from advocacy groups to nurses to lawyers. It's great that there is a multidisciplinary team whose purpose is to help victims of sexual abuse.
I'm working on a whole bunch of long-term projects right now. I'm compiling research on corporal punishment and pairing it with messages to share with families and pediatricians. So. Many. Articles. I'm also working on updating the Center's website, backlogging tweets and other posts with Tiffany, and preparing the office for accreditation by the National Children's Alliance (NCA).
On the side, Tiffany and I finished client satisfaction surveys to evaluate both the medical and advocacy sides of the Center. They go live monday! I also did some updates on the manual that residents receive when they do a rotation at the CARE Center. Tiffany and I were also able to do some arts and crafts with the kids, making hot air balloons to hang in the den. We even did some manual labor! We spent most of a day sanding down and painting the den table with chalkboard paint. It looks great! It will really help make the Center a fun place for children.
Finally, we were able to get certified as Darkness to Light Stewards of Children. The course covered the 5 steps to preventing child sexual abuse: learning the facts, minimizing opportunities, talking about it, recognizing the signs, and reacting appropriately. Most importantly, the course stressed the need for community-wide support.
Tiffany and I attended a Sexual Assault Response Team meeting last week, which was pretty cool. The SART consists of everything from advocacy groups to nurses to lawyers. It's great that there is a multidisciplinary team whose purpose is to help victims of sexual abuse.
I'm working on a whole bunch of long-term projects right now. I'm compiling research on corporal punishment and pairing it with messages to share with families and pediatricians. So. Many. Articles. I'm also working on updating the Center's website, backlogging tweets and other posts with Tiffany, and preparing the office for accreditation by the National Children's Alliance (NCA).
On the side, Tiffany and I finished client satisfaction surveys to evaluate both the medical and advocacy sides of the Center. They go live monday! I also did some updates on the manual that residents receive when they do a rotation at the CARE Center. Tiffany and I were also able to do some arts and crafts with the kids, making hot air balloons to hang in the den. We even did some manual labor! We spent most of a day sanding down and painting the den table with chalkboard paint. It looks great! It will really help make the Center a fun place for children.
Finally, we were able to get certified as Darkness to Light Stewards of Children. The course covered the 5 steps to preventing child sexual abuse: learning the facts, minimizing opportunities, talking about it, recognizing the signs, and reacting appropriately. Most importantly, the course stressed the need for community-wide support.
The Play.
Last weekend, we went to the incredible World War II museum. The exhibits are really well done and paint a vivid picture of the intricacies of the total war that was WWII. From artifacts to recordings, from battle walkthroughs to replicas, the museum had it all. We also got to see the museum's 4D film, narrated by Tom Hanks, which featured a number of cool props like a plane cockpit, real wind, and snow.
That night, I took my first trip to Frenchman Street. I could see immediately why locals prefer it over Bourbon Street. It's vibrant, fun, and, well, it smells a lot nicer. They have a beautiful art market covered with lights where local artists come to sell their work. I ended up buying two prints to bring home. We went to some bars that had live music playing. The first had a full jazz band, and it was great. Now that's what I was looking for in New Orleans. I hope I see a lot more of that while I'm down here!
This weekend was fourth of July weekend, so on Friday we went downtown to see the fireworks. We got to see them on the riverfront, which was great! I also got my first po-boy sandwich (which was delicious!) from a shop on Bourbon Street. On Saturday, we went to the Audobon Zoo. I haven't been to a Zoo since I was in elementary school, so it was pretty exciting! I saw some giraffes, a gorilla, some sea lions, various cats (leopard, cougar, tiger), and much more!
I can't wait to see what the next two weeks have in store for me!
That night, I took my first trip to Frenchman Street. I could see immediately why locals prefer it over Bourbon Street. It's vibrant, fun, and, well, it smells a lot nicer. They have a beautiful art market covered with lights where local artists come to sell their work. I ended up buying two prints to bring home. We went to some bars that had live music playing. The first had a full jazz band, and it was great. Now that's what I was looking for in New Orleans. I hope I see a lot more of that while I'm down here!
This weekend was fourth of July weekend, so on Friday we went downtown to see the fireworks. We got to see them on the riverfront, which was great! I also got my first po-boy sandwich (which was delicious!) from a shop on Bourbon Street. On Saturday, we went to the Audobon Zoo. I haven't been to a Zoo since I was in elementary school, so it was pretty exciting! I saw some giraffes, a gorilla, some sea lions, various cats (leopard, cougar, tiger), and much more!
I can't wait to see what the next two weeks have in store for me!
The FOOD.
Here's some of the great NOLA food I've had in the past 2 weeks!
- Ice cream from the Creole Creamery
- Sno-ball from Plum Street Sno-Balls
- Chips and Homemade Queso from The Rum House
- Five Cheese Mac and Cheese and Buffalo Chicken Sliders from GG's Dine-O-Rama
- Gelato from Sucré
- Heavenly Chocolate Delight Crepe from Crepes a La Cart